Geoengineering: Worthy of Cautious Evaluation?

Abstract

With the Kyoto Protocol proving to be a difficult first step to slowing the rate of growth in emissions and with slow progress on moving to second and third steps that would actually start to reduce emissions, Crutzen (2006) argues that it may be time to think much more seriously about geoengineering the Earth’s climate. In addition to undertaking geoengineering to avoid the “dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system,” which the international community of nations agreed in 1992 was their objective in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Crutzen proposes to offset the warming influence of removing the loading of tropospheric aerosols so as to alleviate their deleterious health effects, which is an interesting newaspect meriting consideration. In addition to the many scientific, legal, ethical, and societal issues that he raises with respect to undertaking such efforts, this note offers a few additional thoughts and comments.